Dear community,

After months of work, I'm delighted to present to you a 'Reward Mode' proposal, bringing 734,366 new users to the Polkadot ecosystem on behalf of the Tap Nation team.

The project "Reward Mode" is designed to revolutionize mobile gaming by seamlessly integrating tokens, NFT rewards, tutorials, and leaderboards into the gaming experience. This feature empowers players to win tangible crypto rewards as they progress in the game.

The goal is to bridge the gap between gaming and the crypto world, creating a win-win scenario for players and the broader crypto community. A significant aspect of the "Reward Mode" project is its commitment to promoting blockchain education and teaching players about the Polkadot ecosystem, while empowering them to become informed participants in the world of utility tokens.

With this treasury proposal and the requested funds, TapNation aims to bring 73,437 new wallets (one new wallet equals one new user) every month during the partnership period, totaling 734,366 wallets (users) in the Polkadot ecosystem. The funding requested will primarily be used to cover user acquisition costs.

This project is integrated with the Polkadot ecosystem, working in collaboration with NFT solution providers from the Polkadot ecosystem and the Unity SDK developed by Polkadot Play. It leverages Polkadot’s secure, scalable, and interoperable infrastructure, ensuring that players can engage with various assets. This integration aligns with Polkadot’s vision of creating a connected and interoperable blockchain landscape. Furthermore, the objective is to actively promote the network through advertisements, tutorials, and informative content about blockchain technology and the Polkadot network itself.

The team: 

The team behind TapNation brings a wealth of experience in the mobile gaming industry, making them well-suited to undertake this project. Although specific details about past projects or contributions are not specified in the information below, they can be requested.

The team's credentials include:

TapNation, created in 2019, as a mobile gaming publisher, after 4 years has achieved remarkable success with over 1 billion downloads and 60 million monthly active users. This demonstrates the ability to develop and manage successful mobile games.

Philippe Lenormand, Head of Web 3, is a key member of the team with expertise in the Web3 space. He possesses the necessary knowledge and experience to lead the integration of crypto reward modes into TapNation's games.

The Team.

Philippe Lenormand - Head of Web 3

Anastase Helaine - Product Manager

Timothée Bruneau - Lead Game Designer

Leo Randon - Game Designer

Kamel Haddad - Backend developer

Fabien Nicot - Lead Game developer

Jean Hardy - Game developer

Karen Bousquet - Graphic Design

Dmitry Telegin - Lead Game Artist

TapNation believes in the transformative power of blockchain and cryptocurrencies to empower individuals and revolutionize the gaming industry. In their assessments they highlight: “…we recognize that the value proposition of Web3.0 for gaming is not yet fully established in the space, and that we are taking a significant risk. Nevertheless, TapNation team is willing to take this risk, particularly with a partnership in the Polkadot ecosystem which proved to be the most innovative and resilient over the years…”

TapNation chose Polkadot because it excels in three key areas:

— seamless integration of different blockchains (notably, the promise of NFT XCM and ability to transfer NFTs across the wider Polkadot ecosystem)

— high transaction capacity ( NFT mint speed record)

— robust security.

These qualities perfectly align with their goal of creating secure and exciting blockchain games. By leveraging Polkadot, they believe that they are elevating the world of blockchain gaming for their community.

Additionally, TapNation team is passionate about education and wants to make complex blockchain concepts accessible to a wider audience. "Reward Mode" represents the team's commitment to innovation, education, and the convergence of gaming and cryptocurrency within the Polkadot ecosystem.

TapNation motivation:

— Increase player retention and engagement in our games

— Propose a better User experience for TapNation players

— Find new revenue sources to improve our model

— Build with a passionate community to create the games of the future

The Problem Statement.

This project addresses several needs within the gaming ecosystem: 

— Crypto Adoption: It facilitates the adoption of cryptocurrencies by introducing players to crypto rewards in a user-friendly gaming environment.

— Education: It provides accessible and engaging education about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

— Player Engagement: It enhances player engagement by offering rewards and leaderboards, thereby increasing network activity and promoting the use of Polkadot.

— Interoperability: By leveraging Polkadot's interoperability, our project enables cross-chain interactions and introduces players to different blockchain assets.

Objectives and Strategy.

Increasing Game LTV: By increasing retention in the selected games through the "Reward Mode," TapNation will be able to generate more revenue from the games and use a portion of this budget to finance the evolution of the project.

Short-Term Plans:

Development and Deployment: TapNation will work diligently to complete the development and deployment of "Reward Mode" in selected games. This includes conducting A/B testing, refining the user experience, and ensuring seamless integration with the Polkadot network.

Wallet Creation*: The goal here is the creation of 73,437 new wallets every month during the partnership period (734,366 wallets in total). Those players will discover the Polkadot Ecosystem via:

• Promotions: Ad placement (banners ads and in-game ads).
• Tutorials: that will educate the users around Polkadot blockchain, wallets, parachains and new projects from the ecosystem.
• Reward the users with a token from the polkadot ecosystem (UNQ) via Leaderboard to interact with your ecosystem.

*Here wallet creation = new user. We are able to make sure the wallets are not coming from bots since we are using a tracking/data tool called **Adjust. **All the events that we will create with adjust and the fact that we have implemented the **Adjust signature **on all our games, an anti-fraud tool, help us to guarantee that those users are real. We are using that tool for a long time on our apps to prevent any fraud from our user acquisition channel.

Player Engagement: The TapNation team will actively engage with their initial user base, gather feedback, and make necessary improvements to the solution. The aim is to provide a high-quality gaming experience with cryptocurrency rewards.

Marketing and Promotion: TapNation team will launch targeted marketing campaigns to promote "Reward Mode" and attract players.

Educational Resources: TapNation will continually expand their educational resources to keep players informed about the Polkadot ecosystem. This includes regular updates, tutorials, and informative content.

This first phase of a long-term partnership with the Polkadot ecosystem must be straightforward, and the onboarding of TapNation users needs to be smooth and gradual, as they are a non-crypto-native audience. Additionally, the introduction of new features like dynamic NFT avatars and nesting will help TapNation to unlock engagement among their players.

So far, only play-to-earn has achieved some success in gaming, and the TapNation team is here to find new ways to bridge the crypto and gaming worlds. TapNation believes that Polkadot's advanced technology and functionality can help us achieve this.

The space is very new, and TapNation is just pioneering this path. Therefore, you will need to try multiple approaches to ensure successful engagement. For this reason, TapNation asks the Polkadot ecosystem/community to share this risk to push innovation and mass adoption within this ecosystem.

In addition, Polkadot Play and other gaming entities within the ecosystem will derive benefits from the adoption of this project, serving as a valuable case study for the platform.

Partnerships and Grants: 

TapNation team will actively seek technical partnerships and grant opportunities within the Polkadot ecosystem. Unique Network has committed to a grant of UNQ tokens as rewards to players and all supporting in-kind engineering to ensure the project's successful launch.

Long-Term Plans: 

TapNation’s long-term intentions revolve around sustainability, growth, and innovation:

“Reward Mode” Expansion: TapNation plans to expand their gaming portfolio, introducing new games that incorporate "Reward Mode." This will diversify the company's user base and increase engagement.

Other Web3 Projects: Beyond the "Reward Mode" project, TapNation aims to propose a new type of Web3 concepts that will benefit both the Polkadot ecosystem and the gaming community.

Regulatory Compliance: TapNation will closely monitor and adapt to evolving regulations in the crypto and gaming industries, ensuring that the project operates within legal frameworks.

Community Engagement: TapNation’s long-term commitment includes continued engagement with the gaming and crypto communities, listening to user feedback, and evolving to meet the changing needs and expectations of the company's stakeholders.

Benefits for the Polkadot ecosystem.

This project, "Reward Mode," is a dynamic component within the Polkadot ecosystem. It serves as a bridge between the gaming and cryptocurrency worlds, enriching the gaming experience by seamlessly incorporating cryptocurrency rewards, education, and leaderboards. Designed to benefit both players and the broader Polkadot community, it promotes crypto adoption and provides education through TapNation's top games, which boast millions of downloads.

Target Audience: 

Players: Mobile gamers who seek an enhanced gaming experience with cryptocurrency rewards and educational resources. Players that will see the crypto feature: 734,366 / month Wallet Creation: 73,437 / month

Developers: Developers within the Polkadot ecosystem, especially those interested in gaming and blockchain integration, may find value as a reference for integrating cryptocurrency rewards and advanced features into their applications.

Crypto Enthusiasts: Individuals interested in cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, and Polkadot who wish to explore the gaming side of the ecosystem.

Polkadot Community: The broader Polkadot community, benefits from the increased network activity and adoption generated by this project.

Gaming Ecosystem Needs Addressed: 

Crypto Adoption: It facilitates the adoption of cryptocurrencies by introducing players to crypto rewards in a user-friendly gaming environment.

Education: It provides accessible and engaging education about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

Player Engagement: It enhances player engagement by offering rewards and leaderboards, thereby increasing network activity and promoting the use of Polkadot and Unique.

Interoperability: By leveraging Polkadot's interoperability features, our project enables cross-chain interactions and introduces players to different blockchain assets.

Similar Projects:

While there may be projects within the broader blockchain and gaming landscape that offer Play & Earn solutions, our integration with Polkadot sets us apart by offering seamless wallet creation and onboarding for non-crypto-native users, as well as advanced NFT features. Our project's deep integration within the ecosystem and into our Top Games provides a unique value proposition. This combination distinguishes us from similar projects and positions us within the Polkadot landscape.

Stakeholder benefits: 

Crypto Adoption: It facilitates the adoption of cryptocurrencies by introducing players to crypto rewards in a user-friendly gaming environment.

Education: It provides accessible and engaging education about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

Player Engagement: It enhances player engagement by offering rewards and leaderboards, thereby increasing network activity and promoting the use of Polkadot and Unique.

Interoperability: By leveraging Polkadot's interoperability features, our project enables cross-chain interactions and introduces players to different blockchain assets.

Pitch Deck: TapNation’s pitch deck provides a comprehensive overview of the project, outlining its objectives, features, and the technology stack. It includes visual representations of UI components, data models, and a roadmap for development and deployment.

Mockups/Designs: The TapNation team has prepared mockups and designs (first draft) of the user interface components for "Reward Mode." These include the in-game UI elements, profile customization screens, wallet creation process, and leaderboards. The designs are user-friendly and intuitive, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Data Models/API Specifications: 

The core functionality of the project includes handling user profiles, distributing rewards, tracking leaderboards, and integrating wallets.

Technology Stack: Our technology stack comprises a mix of robust and scalable technologies, including but not limited to:

Front-end: Unity

Back-end: Node JS

Database: BigQuery: SQL data warehouse + Memory Store / Redis: No SQL database

Wallet: Unique SDK

Milestones/Cost Breakdown

This section includes the development roadmap with a breakdown of milestones and deliverables.Check the Link

Total Estimated Duration: 12 months (minimum)

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): Not specified in the information

Total Costs: 407,300€ -> refer to Doc HERE

Milestone Breakdown:

Milestone 1: Proof of Concept

Crypto Feature Development

Integration of Polkadot Partner SDKs

Integration of the solution into our 2 hit games

Feature Iteration

Duration: 13 months

Cost: 186,990€ (50,000€ of this amount will be at the charge of TapNation) 

Milestones 2 to 11: Monthly creation of 73,437 wallets

Duration: Starting from game launch (at month 4) and for a minimum of 10 months

Cost: 22,031€ per month, totaling 220,310€

The project's estimated duration spans 12 months, and the total requested amount is 357,300€ (This amount is the sum of the Development Cost minus the 50K€ in-kind development from TapNation, plus the User Acquisition cost). The milestones are designed to ensure a gradual and successful integration of the crypto reward mode into the selected games, wallet creation, and ongoing evaluation of wallet creations.

*Here wallet creation = new user. We are able to make sure the wallets are not coming from bots since we are using a tracking/data tool called Adjust. All the events that we will create with adjust and the fact that we have implemented the Adjust signature on all our games, an anti-fraud tool, help us to guarantee that those users are real. We are using that tool for a long time on our apps to prevent any fraud from our user acquisition channel.

357,300€ is requested for this project. This number of DOTs represents all the Milestones. One treasury submission for the all project (all milestones in one submission).

The Cost will reflect 2 aspects:

— The User Acquisition cost 

— The Development cost

Proposer contact information:

Via email: louis@tap-nation.io (TapNation Chief of Staff & CFO) or

philippe.lenormand@tap-nation.io (TapNation Head of Web3) or

irina@bq9.io (BQ9, ecosystem growth agency)

Kraken DOT to USD 5% to secure the DOT price variation. Budget detail: Check the Link

The TapNation team learned about Polkadot through Irina Karagyaur, who introduced Philippe Lenormand to the Polkadot ecosystem and helped shape this proposal.